When you are making your way around the city and start to see streets that are flagged with artistic stones, buildings that look like well-preserved antiques and boutiques that fit almost every fashion style you can think of – you are in SoHo. This historic area has become a shopping mecca for natives and tourist alike as the streets are always buzzing especially on holidays and weekends. A lot of people come to New York just to hit this 26 block neighborhood which packs more than you can imagine onto every street.
SoHo is a shoppers’ haven as the area is surrounded by high-end, specialty and other types of boutiques (including a shop that has fossil jewelry and scorpion paper weights). There is no doubt why New Yorkers describe SoHo as a place where people go for shopping. There are a lot of designer stores in SoHo including Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Coach and Burberry. Other major stores in SoHo include Banana Republic, UNIQLO, American Eagle, J Crew and H&M.
Food is another factor that makes SoHo desirable. SoHo has a lot of restaurants many of which have a 4 star and 5 star reputation. Some restaurants in SoHo include Fiamma Osteria, Mercer Kitchen, Lure Fishbar and Balthazar amongst others. These restaurant tend to be on the higher price scale, so they are definitely hot spots you should look into for Restaurant Week.
In terms of accommodations, there are different parts of SoHo you might choose to stay in and a lot of this depends on your budget. You could get a place in Central SoHo if you want to pretend to reside next to the rich and the famous for a few days. The area is very active and living in this part puts you right in the center of all the action when you stay at hotels like Trump SoHo or The Mercer Hotel. However if you don’t want to empty your wallet on a hotel room, look more towards Western SoHo where you should be able to get a good deal at the Courtyard or Four Points by Sheraton.
SoHo nightlife will want you to continue having fun until the sun comes up. Some of these spots include Grand Bar, Cipriani SoHo, Grand Hotel, Park and S.O.B. amongst others. The great thing about night life in SoHo, is just like the fashion shops, there is something for everyone. You could be looking for a piano bar, a themed bar, or if you love a good party, there are plenty of dance clubs – so you just need to find what is right for you.
Oh and we can’t forget – do you know what exactly SoHo means? It is just a play-off of its location, ‘South of Houston’.